Chennai, Oct 07, 2022, IANS

Chennai, Oct 7 (IANS) MRF Formula 2000, among the quickest racing cars in the country, will return to the MRF MMSC-Fmsci Indian National Car Racing Championship after a two-season break as the first round of the 2022 season gets underway at the Madras International Circuit, here on October 8.

The two-litre single-seater will headline the compact, 10-race programme which also includes the MRF Saloons (Toyota Etios), Formula LGB 1300 and the three-tier saloon cars -- Indian Touring Cars, Indian Junior Touring Cars and the Super Stock -- categories.

The MRF F2000 will have a grid of nine youngsters for whom it will be the first race outing in this category. Spearheading the pack is Agra's Shahan Ali Mohsin, winner of the MRF F1600 championship in 2021. All the nine drivers have graduated from karting and junior formula championships. As such, the competition is expected to be sharp.

Another notable development is the debut of Volkswagen Virtus GT car with two of them entered in the premier Indian Touring Cars category. They will be driven by Chennai's Sandeep Kumar, last year's VW Polo Cup winner, and Jeet Jhabakh from Hyderabad, the 2019 VW Ameo Cup champion.

The Virtus is powered by a 1.5 litre TSi engine tweaked to put out 215hp and mated to a six-speed sequential gearbox. The Virtus will go up against the modified Honda City Vtec from Race Concepts stable and driven by defending champion Arjun Balu from Coimbatore.

The grid for the season-opener will comprise some 50 saloon cars and 30 single-seaters with a mix of young and experienced competitors besides a few female drivers. The grandstand for spectators is open for the weekend.

Race director and MMSC vice-president Vicky Chandhok said, "The 2022 season has had a slightly delayed start due to various reasons, but the number of entries has been encouraging. We are happy to have the MRF F2000 back in our midst after a two-season gap, besides to welcome the VW Virtus and also all the competitors."